Elton John put on a concert for the 2026 Rock in Rio festival
Elton John put on a concert for the 2026 Rock in Rio festival, performing a total of 24 songs over two hours and 15 minutes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Elton John put on a concert for the 2026 Rock in Rio festival, performing a total of 24 songs over two hours and 15 minutes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The icon shifted his Monday concert slot 65 minutes earlier to ensure he got a full concert's worth of time in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 100,000 people at the event in the host city.
The star paid tribute to Brazilian fans following the completion of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in July 2023 without a stop in the country.
Honoring Brazilian Fans After Farewell Tour
Elton John told the audience during the concert that he felt he owed it to the fans to make sure Rock in Rio got a full concert's worth of time in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 100,000 people at the event in the host city.
John said that he accepted Rock in Rio's invitation because he felt it was only fair to pay his respects to the fans after missing the opportunity to perform in Brazil during the span of his final world tour.
The set exceeded those of other festival headliners in both length and song count, featuring 20 of the 24 numbers performed on his closing tour.
Stage Production and Setlist Highlights
John took to the 11 p.m. slot on the festival's new Mundo Stage, which boasts nearly 25,800 square feet of high-definition LED screens stretched across a 351-foot-long structure.
"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," he opened his set with, featured prominently on the set list, which drew extensively from his final tour.
The comprehensive setlist featured many of his classic tracks and fan favorites, including:
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Accompaniment and Performance Details
John was accompanied by his long-time band members, including Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Ray Cooper, John Mahon, Kim Bullard, and Matt Bissonette. Together they provided traditional arrangements for most of the set list, with the ensemble supplying full musical support throughout his headline set.
